Wandering Lonely as a
by Nike Athena
Summary: Most people don't know why Hibari Kyouya hates crowds so much. Tetsuya is one of the only people who does.


Title: Wandering Lonely as a...  
Author: me!  
Rating: G  
Paring: none, really. Unless you squint and turn your head to the left.  
Warnings:... none, oddly. Some violence, because it is about Kyouya.  
Summary: Kusakabe Tetsuya is one of the only people who knows...

Everyone knew Hibari Kyouya hated crowds, and it was under the common assumption by many people in such crowds that his hatred stemmed from his active dislike of frivolity. Being in crowds of more than three or so meant you probably weren't doing anything productive, and were, in fact, just being a nuisance, an eyesore, and, thus, people deserving of being bitten to death.

That was part of it, though Kyouya had never really felt an obligation to explain it himself, unless asked. Very few people knew beyond that that crowds actually made Hibari very nervous, and Kusakabe Tetsuya was one of them. He knew that, unlike most people with an active aversion for crowds, Kyouya didn't collapse into a dribbling little heap when plunged into the midst of one (though he rarely ever was, and most people with half a brain around Namimori knew enough not to do that to Hibari). Instead, he exhibited his nervousness with biting people to death, and other similar activities.

But Hibari didn't exhibit any normal warning signs that most people did, and Tetsuya had learned to become intimately acquainted with the other boy's quirks and signals, for both the safety of the people around Hibari and Hibari himself.

Hibari's breath often quickened when confronted with a throng- it was barely noticeable, really only noticeable to Tetsuya, who had come to expect such things, and was best marked by a sudden, quick exhalation of air before his breathing returned to normal. His face, simultaneously, would become very still, and frighteningly cold. Tetsuya had long since wondered how a person as beautiful as Kyouya could look as frightening as he did in those moments.

Even being too close to another person would set Kyouya on edge, though Kyouya had become so expert in managing space between him and any other person that the transition was smooth and automatic. He would distance himself even from Tetsuya when they were on the roof of the school, gaining higher ground or budging himself into the corner of the roof railing (which never ceased to concern Tetsuya greatly, and he would continually beg Kyouya to come away from the railing, lest the other boy fall to the ground below). Which was fine for the most part, but became difficult when someone wanted actual, real contact with the boy, which was part of the problem at that point, during lunch on a clear September day, and Namimori Middle High was having a Student Body organizational meeting.

The numbers in the room were, of course, rather high. The President and Vice-President from each organization were present, so there were around twelve or so people in the room. And more people were filing in.

Rarely, usually when the numbers in a room were out of his control (like in a school group meeting, or class), Hibari would become shaky; such organizations were legitimate in society, and it would be rather socially awkward of Kyouya if he were to suddenly lash out against them. If he could, he would leave the room as quickly as possible, or else distance himself from the group. When he wanted to lash out, he would save it for later.

But when they crowded around Hibari himself was when the situation got sticky, which was happening right then, when Tetsuya realized quite suddenly that he had lost sight of Kyouya's rather small, delicate form amongst the larger, bulkier members of the aikido club that had gathered unknowingly around Kyouya. Tetsuya had just started forward, ready to extricate Hibari from their depths, when the boy's voice, deep and cold, issued from among them.

"You all. Are crowding." In the second that the aikido members had reacted (rather slowly) to Hibari's threat, the boy had already downed the Captain, Vice-Captain and Secretary. It was just during then, when Kyouya was turning to make short work of the Treasurer that Tetsuya grabbed Hibari's arm and pulled him quickly from the room.

No one had really known or understood what had happened, which was so much for the better for Tetsuya, who had respectfully separated himself a couple of paces from Hibari and offered him the partially empty coffee can Tetsuya had been working on. Hibari, who having been extricated from the group was already much calmer, took the can and took a swig from it before handing it back.

Kyouya swung back to the door, his hair hanging in his face, and Tetsuya thought he was about to enter, when he suddenly paused, glancing backwards at his Vice-Captain. "Tetstu." He said, more to himself than anyone else, his voice it's characteristic low, calm, almost unemotional murmur. "After this meeting, I want you to take the Treasurer, the Secretary, and a couple of enforcers and take care of the aikido club. Crowding like that in front of me is unforgivable."

Hibari was uncharacteristically absent from the rest of the meeting, but as Tetsu gathered up as many members as he required for stomping the Aikido club, he figured he would have known where to find him. Napping on the leather couch in the welcoming room, long legs neatly crossed at the ankle, lanky body relaxed, trauma from earlier in the day forgotten.

For, indeed, though no one else knew, and Tetsu declined to explain, and contrary to popular belief, Hibari Kyouya was afraid of crowds. And to Kyou-san, trauma was solved with violence.


End file.
